


caramel

by dandeaix



Category: Chainsaw Man (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Denji & Himeno's Super Secret Alliance, Gen, Go Himeno get his dick!, Humor, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29693226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandeaix/pseuds/dandeaix
Summary: “Or is it…” Himeno stares down at her chest and gropes. “Are they too big?”“No,” Denji says, “they’re hot.”“Thanks.”
Relationships: Background Angel Devil/Hayakawa Aki, Denji & Himeno (Chainsaw Man), One-sided Hayakawa Aki/Himeno, Slight Denji/Reze (Chainsaw Man)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	caramel

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be a longer human AU just so that himeno and angel can interact but then i remember canon divergence exists. anyway, takes place after reze bombgirl arc but before darkness devil arc, and EVERYBODY LIVES.

The sun burns his eyes, so Denji rolls over, wincing at the sharp pricks of hot sand sticking onto his skin, still wet with sea and salt. 

Power's shrieks are loud and grating as she competes with the gulls for, for a fish or something. Denji would have joined her except she tried to drown him mere minutes ago, so. Maybe later.

A little away, Angel sits under an umbrella, sunglasses perched on his nose. He glances up when Aki approaches, and lowers the book in his hand to accept the cone of ice-cream. No fair, Denji wants one too. He's going to make Aki buy him a triple scoop later for this blatant favouritism.

Angel licks the ice-cream. Says something, and  _ Denji _ startles when Aki leans over to bite a chunk off the top of the ice-cream. What's this - what's this  _ atmosphere?  _ Is this what they call  _ flirting?  _ And th - that! That's an  _ indirect kiss,  _ ice-cream sweet, and all these thoughts of kissing are reminding Denji of his very horrible, no-good vomit-flavoured first kiss. Man, he should have saved himself up for Makima. And also, like, ask Aki for advice.

(His second kiss: bloodstained, the tang of iron, and fireworks going off like bombs in the background.  _ Oh, Reze.) _

In the distance, Angel squawks, his wings fluffing up, and whips off his sunglasses to slap it onto Aki's face. 

Smooth, Aki, real smooth.

A shadow falls over Denji, followed by a heavy thud as Himeno sits beside him. "Sickening, aren't they?" she comments, crossing her legs. Her calves are polished jade, dusted with interstellar clouds of shades of green. Ghost took her limbs, and now Himeno can order legs that are two inches longer if she wants. The magic of prosthetics. Denji is jealous.

“Nah, they aren’t  _ together- _ together,” Denji says. He has asked. Power has asked too, with more malicious energy. And when that doesn’t work and Aki is fuming, they resort to Nyaako. Denji is sad to report that Aki’s preferred housepet of choice is probably the feathered kind.

Himeno stares after Aki again. “But they might as well be together-together?”

“I guess?”

“Huh.” Himeno brings a hand to the back of her head. This prosthetic is made of obsidian. Damn, it’s so  _ cool.  _ Maybe Denji should go around losing an arm again or something. “Do you think it’s the hair?”

“The what.”

“I can grow it out.” She ruffles her own hair. “Dye it red.”

Denji thinks about it. Both Power and Makima have boobs, but he hasn’t felt the same towards Power. And like, Himeno is objectively hot, but he has gotten more excited about the prospects of what she promised rather than her herself. Maybe it’s as Makima said - some people can only like people they understand, and even then there are people that they simply can’t find erotic. 

Like Power. She is so unsexy, there should probably be a new category for her.

“Or is it…” Himeno stares down at her chest and gropes. “Are they too big?”

“No,” Denji says, “they’re hot.”

“Thanks.”

Both of them turn again. Angel and Aki are not doing anything in particular, with Angel finishing the last of the ice-cream and Aki picking up the book where Angel has left it. It’s painfully normal; it’s unnervingly intimate. What the fuck. Is this allowed?

“I thought he was straight,” Himeno continues sadly. “I was  _ so  _ certain he’s straight. Wasn’t he super into Makima a while back?”

From out of literally nowhere, Beam leaps into view, rips the umbrella up, and uses it as a shield against - against the barrage of  _ whatever  _ that Power is throwing. Seems fun; more fun than this conversation with Himeno, at least. Denji scrambles to his feet. “Man, I don’t know,” he tells Himeno, “and thinking so much is hurting my head, so I am just gonna… not think.”

Himeno arches both eyebrows. Denji decides  _ fuck it,  _ and finger-guns as he backs away from her. Then, at a polite distance away, he breaks into a full sprint before Power and Beam have too much fun without him. 

-

What happened is this: while Himeno is out of commission, Makima partnered up Angel and Aki.

And then this and that, a lot of people died, but then  _ something _ happened. Denji does not know what, but the most discernible shift, he thinks, comes after the fight with Reze where she destroyed a good chunk of the city. 

"No way!" Power protests. "Aki has been nicer to Angel from the get-go."

"Really?"

Power leans in. "I heard they had a civil conversation when they first met," she whispers loudly. "Plus, he has  _ never  _ threatened to kill Angel."

Now  _ that's  _ big. Denji has been the target of too many projectile household items after another prank gone too far.

"So they  _ are  _ dating?" Denji asks. "But why? I don't understand - Angel does not have boobs. Aki can't even kiss him. He'll like, die."

"Beats me," Power replies. Then Nyaako pads over, and they are too distracted by the way Nyaako chases after the feathered toy to contemplate Aki's complicated relationship diagram.

-

Denji opens the door and sees Himeno.

“Ah, shit,” he says.

“I need to talk to you,” Himeno replies.

“That’s unfortunate,” says Denji, “I don’t want to talk to you.’

“Have you forgotten our very confidential super mega top secret alliance?” Himeno presses.

“Yes.”

“Well, to jolt your memory, I said that we should all have breakfast together sometimes.”

“At  _ your  _ place.”

“Aha!” Himeno exclaims triumphantly. “So you didn’t forget that much after all. Now move aside, I brought sandwiches.”

“N-no, come on, Himeno, don’t -” She rounds the corner and comes face-to-face with Angel. Well then. Denji’s tried.

Angel stares at Himeno, then at the bowl of popcorn in his hands, and  _ then  _ at Himeno again. “Hello.”

“Hi.”

“Umm.” He juts his chin towards her bag. “I was about to leave. After I put this bowl down.”

Himeno seems at a loss for words. Denji can’t blame her:  _ no one  _ has seen Angel outside of the suit-and-shirt combination of the Public Safety uniform before, and Angel won’t have changed out into a T-shirt, had Denji not fucked up with the butter. “I… see.”

“Yeah. They were going to have a movie marathon.”

“At nine in the morning?”

Angel shrugs.

The bigger question that Himeno does not ask, but is played out so loudly in the agonised expression that she has twisted her face into, is what  _ Angel  _ is doing over at the Hayakawas  _ this  _ early in the morning in the first place. 

In fact, the answer involves a broken water heater that is fucked to hell and sprouting water in six directions. 

(Power yelling  _ We need an ultra powerful screwdriver!  _ and Denji shouting  _ where do we get a weapon like that!  _ and both of them staring at Aki until Aki gives in and calls Angel at  _ seven a.m. _ to help with toilet problems, because it’s too early for the neighbourhood plumbers to clock in.)

It is at that moment that divine intervention strikes and Power hops into the room. “Denji!” she chirps. “Angel! And Denji’s friend! It’s time to pick the movies.”

"I'm leaving," says Angel.

As if on cue, Aki steps unsuspectingly into view. "Stay for a movie. You can leave after your shirt is dry -" He freezes. "Oh, Himeno."

Himeno waves vaguely. "Hey."

"I wasn't expecting you."

Himeno laughs awkwardly. "I brought breakfast?"

A heavy pause before Aki accepts the bag. "Thank you."

Another bout of silence. Denji makes pained eye contact with Power. 

_ You figure it out,  _ her eyebrows seem to convey.

_ Bitch no,  _ Denji tries to reply by wrinkling his nose.

Fortunately, Angel takes the chance to shove the bowl of popcorn into Aki's arms. "I'm leaving," he repeats, louder, "have fun watching the movie."

"Wait," Aki calls, and shoves the bowl  _ and  _ the bag to Denji.  _ Why Denji?  _ Wow, he feels like a lightbulb that is flashing the batman logo in the sky, except instead of a bat it's in the silhouette of Angel and Aki making out vigorously. Even though they couldn't, you know. Make out. "Let me give you a ride."

"I can walk."

"Then I'll walk you down to the ground floor," Aki insists. 

They watch Aki assure that he'll pass Angel his clothes on their next patrol and Angel muttering that  _ it's fine, Public Safety has spares  _ but then Aki goes  _ I insist  _ and yada yada. The door shuts behind them. Denji shifts the bowl of popcorn in his arms against his side.

Damn, and they're not even really dating yet. They are going to be  _ obnoxious.  _ Denji wants what they have.

Beside him, Himeno sucks in a sharp breath. "Well," she says, plastering on a smile, "movie marathon, was it? What shows do you kids have?"

-

Makima parades Reze around the office before coming to a halt infront of Denji.

"Bomb is not ready for partnered patrols yet, but I thought it'll be good for her to shadow you, for now," she announces. Bomb keeps her head lowered, her gaze turned away. For the first time, Denji's head is an absolute void.

He comes back to himself while pacing around a shopping district, Power chattering on about that top with the cute rips and that arcade plush that looks like Nyaako. When Denji turns, he sees Reze, still silent, still following, and thinks about flowers.

(At the office, Angel takes one glance at her and says, "Sorry, nothing personal," and Reze murmurs, "I know."

Her voice is hoarse. She does not meet anyone's eyes. She hasn't spoken since.)

"Hey, Denji," Power exclaims, "look there - someone's making balloon animals!"

Oh right. Some store is holding a promotional event and hired a clown. There are a lot of requests for dogs; Denji thinks of Makima's hounds, of Pochita. He approaches the clown.

"I want a cat!" Power orders, and after Denji pays up, the clown delivers. "Ooh, Nyaako's new friend. Do you want one too?"

Denji opens his mouth, and then hesitates. He thinks of Reze, close enough to touch, close enough to reach out and intertwine her fingers with his, and yet. "I would like a flower," Denji requests.

"There," Denji announces, shoving the balloon flower into Reze's hands. Reze startles, almost dropping it before her hands steady. "For you."

"He got you a  _ huge  _ bouquet the other time," Power adds, ignoring the swat from Denji. "But you didn't come."

Reze stares at the balloon flower, pink and green and gaudy. "Thank you," she says, her voice small. Her cheeks are the faintest pink. Who says all her blushes are fake? 

They complete the rest of the patrol without fuss. Reze is still quiet, and they are drawing attention with their balloon cat and flower, but something in the air has shifted, and the fishbone in Denji's throat feels like it has finally dislodged itself. 

-

Aki is constantly serious and constantly a little sad, Denji thinks. And Angel lives like he's adrift amongst the clouds rather than with two feet rooted to the ground, and that is what draws them two together, isn't it? Damn it, Aki and Angel, two big sad fucks.

Pochita appears in his dreams, and they talk about, well,  _ dreams.  _ Denji asks him about Power, about Reze. About Aki. Pochita blinks its bright eyes and wriggle its bean-like body, and tells him about how the details of dreams change but the core of them remain the same.

"Then what's at the heart of my dream?" Denji asks.

He wakes before Pochita can answer.

-

"Congratulations on finally reuniting with your girlfriend," says Himeno. "I guess this means you don't want to get together with Makima anymore?"

Denji thinks this over. "Do you think Reze will mind?"

"Probably," says Himeno, "but it's Makima." It's like a celebrity kind of thing. If you get picked up by your favourite idol, will you cheat on your partner?

(More importantly, will  _ your partner _ mind? Denji thinks he'll be awfully jealous, but getting cuckolded by the celebrity equivalent of Makima doesn't sound too bad.)

"Then I guess," Himeno says, "our hush-hush very private super secret alliance is still ongoing?"

"Planning to homewreck, aren't you, you heinous fox," Denji says, "sure."

"No need to homewreck," Himeno defends, "I have figured it out."

"Yeah?"

"I realised, I may not be able to win against Angel, but Aki has  _ two  _ hands."

"And two legs."

"And prosthetics are an option too," Himeno finishes. "Guess it will be a pleasure to continue working with you, partner."

"Same to you." They shake on it.

Then: "Seriously though. Do you think Aki prefers that I am shorter?"

Denji deadass does not know how to reply.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Basically,


End file.
